Sunday, September 20, 2009

Sept 15th parent meeting - October is Bakersfield's "Meet Your Special Neighbor" Month - opportunities for OUR group to participate - upcoming events

(heavily borrowed from Holley Arbeit's handout from the September 2009 Bakersfield Parent Support)

October is Bakersfield's "Meet Your Special Neighbor" Month -- a month to increase awareness of developmental and acquired disabilities. http://www.meetyourspecialneighbor.org/

Here are some opportunities for OUR group to participate this month:

October 4, Sunday from 12noon-4pm, Kick-off Event at Mill Creek Park (R & 21st St) by the Bakersfield Museum of Art. There will be many fun, family-friendly events.

• There will be a booth for our group, Bakersfield Parent Support Group of Teens with Social Communication Difficulties shared with Bakersfield Area Speech Pathologists and Audiologists, BASPA, of which Holley is member.

• There will be a booth for Achieving in Higher Education with Autism/Developmental Disabilities, AHEADD, (www.aheadd.org), an organization that provides coaching, mentoring, and personal advocacy for college students, of which Holley is the local representative.

October 15, Thursday, from 7pm-10pm? at the Fox Theater-- Kern Autism Network, KAN, will present the movie "The Black Balloon" with Stephen Shore as a discussion leader after the viewing. This is all free of charge thanks to KAN's enormous willingness and ability to fund this. AHEADD, BASPA, and Bakersfield Parent Support Group (us) will have some sort of booth arrangement (shared, I think) prior to the event. The booth/table will probably be set up by 6:30pm until the start of the movie. Volunteers will probably just pass out informational materials and then enjoy the rest of the evening, the movie and the discussion afterwards.

• The movie has autism as the main theme and it will be released in major theaters and on DVD. We will be seeing the movie prior to release!

• Dr Shore is an international authority on ASD. He, himself, has Aspergers Syndrome.

• From the KAN website:
• Autism Society Chapter Kern Autism Network Presents -- "The Black Balloon" to be held at the Majestic Fox Theater, 2001 H St, on Thursday October 15. This film will be shown FREE to the public in recognition of "Autism Awareness" and "Meet Your Social Neighbors Project of Events". "The Black Balloon" is a story about fitting in, discovering love and accepting your family when you have a loved one with autism. To read more about the movie starting Toni Collette and see who else stars in this award winning film, "The Black Balloon wins Best Feature Film at the Berlin International Film Festival", please visit the movie website http://www.theblackballoonmovie.com. Stephen Shore will be doing the commentary for the film, following the end of the movie. For further information about Stephen Shore, please refer to his website: http://www.autismasperger.net. To register for this event, please contact the Autism Society Chapter Kern Autism Network for further details 661-588-4235 or email kernautism@gmail.com.

October 20, Tuesday at 5:30pm-7pm -- our regular monthly meeting. We will have Richard McBurnie and Barry Rosenfeld as guest presenters on Conservatorship for adults with disabilities. All parents and professionals are welcome. This presentation is free, as always.

• They will share the following information that benefits people of all financial levels.

•• Why you and your child may need a Special Needs Trust

•• How to create a Special Needs Trust

•• An explanation of the difference between a standard trust and a Special Needs Trust

•• What are the best methods to provide for your child's future financial security, recreational activities, and medical care without placing unrealistic burdens on other family members

•• How to make certain that your child remains eligible for state and federal aid

•• Funding techniques for your Special Needs Trust, no matter what your financial level

• Guest Presenters

•• Richard McBurnie, Attorney-at-law, a past president of the KErn County Bar Association. Richard has worked tirelessly on behalf of charitable causes in our community

•• Barry Rosenfeld, Chartered Life Underwriter, Chartered Financial Consultant, and Chartered Lifetime Assistance Planner. Barry and his wife, Pat, are keenly aware of the challenges parents face

To visit Oct 5 at Mill Creek park, just show up. To volunteer, contact Holley Arbeit at holley_arbeit@khsd.k12.ca.us or 665.2800 x68

To see "The Black Balloon", Oct 15, contact KAN at 661-588-4235 or email kernautism@gmail.com. To volunteer, contact Holley Arbeit at holley_arbeit@khsd.k12.ca.us or 665.2800 x68

To attend our monthly meeting Oct 20, just come to Stockdale High School Room 606, Buena Vista Rd parking lot. You are welcome to come, even if you arrive late or have to leave early. Contact Holley Arbeit at holley_arbeit@khsd.k12.ca.us or 665.2800 x68